Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1895. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
Complete a thread started and set every month for twelve consecutive months. Each thread must have at least ten posts, and at least three must be your own.
Did You Know?
Did you know? Jewelry of jet was the haute jewelry of the Victorian era. — Fallin
Sometimes, Harry thought he ought to work on being more intimidating. Since the suffrage bill was announced in the Prophet, it seemed there was no end of people who wanted a word with him. Maybe he seemed more approachable because he wasn't a ministry official? Whatever the case, Harry was half-tempted to brew himself polyjuice potion to avoid people coming up to him with questions he could not answer. He might have, if he'd thought of it before the Prophet article, but he'd still have to deal with it all for the month it took to make the potion.
He didn't really blame anyone for being curious. Not really. A citizen's interest in government was how Harry'd ended up on a committee for voting reform in the first place. So, when one such concerned citizen cornered him as he crossed the Atrium, it was with at least some patience that Harry said, "No, I'm sorry, I really can't say more about it than what's been told to the public."
Kieran was trawling for information on the suffrage bill; he was lucky that this was technically part of his job. He recognized Berkwood because he had made a habit out of knowing what members of the committee looked like. He cornered Berkwood with efficiency and asked a leading question, smiling good-naturedly at the rebuke of the other man.
"But do you like it?" Kieran asked. He felt like he could get something out of Berkwood — and never mind if it was for the Prophet or just for Jude.
Harry's smile didn't waiver, but was decidedly polite and not meant to actually reveal anything significant. "I am happy... to be a part of the process," he said. Which was, of course, not even close to an answer to the question, but really, what did the man think he was going to say?
Well that was restrained. Kieran decided to change tack. "How did you get involved?" he asked, instead — he was sure he could nudge Berkwood into saying something if he kept nattering at him.
"Minister Dempsey approached me," Harry said, though he wasn't sure how they'd gotten to that point first. "Presumably he liked what I had to say on the subject enough to include me." Or something like that, anyway.
That, Harry at least felt he could answer honestly. He hadn't exactly been shy about his view point since joining the committee. "I'm in favor of universal suffrage," he said. "I think it's, at best, silly that we allow widows to vote on, presumably, their sons' behalf, but it's too much for women at large." His tone was amused, though he didn't really think it was very funny. More absurd than anything.
Kieran jotted that down. "And you took those opinions to the committee, right?" he said. Nothing Berkwood had said so far was a surprise, but — Kieran was sure he could keep pushing.
"Of course," Harry said. "The committee is made up of a variety of view points." That was its purpose, after all. Frankly, Harry was grateful that that many differing opinions had led to anything productive at all, and not just disaster.
Kieran laughed, as if they were both having a fun time. (He, at least, was having a fun time.) "What's in your political future, then?" he asked. Berkwood had to have something in mind, right? He was a favorite of Minister Dempsey.
"I suppose it depends on how this goes," Harry said, with a shrug. "I had no particular ambitions before for politics, but a more active role in activism seems in order." He smiled wryly. That was, Harry was sure, about as far as it would go for him. It's not like he had lofty ambitions to office. Letting women vote might be one thing, he had a feeling a muggleborn reaching for power might be too much for the old guard to allow. Even if he'd wanted that sort of thing, which he definitely did not.
Oh, that was interesting. Kieran noted it down, then flipped his notepad shut — off the clock, as it were. (Pengloss would not be thrilled with him if he saw this behavior.) "There's meetings," Kieran said, having recognized a potential new friend in Berkwood's simple ambitions. He tried not to tell people he did this, but he — still did, sometimes. "At the Augurey, in London. You should come by. Schedule's on their cork board."
Harry raised his eyebrows. Well, he wouldn't have expected this to go this way. "I'll look into it," he said. He'd never been to the Augurey, but he was sure he could figure it out. "Thanks for the tip... what did you say your name was?"
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